Portable machine for tufting cut pile



A 1964 c. D. ELLIOTT ETAL 3,144,844

PORTABLE MACHINE FOR TUFTING CUT FILE Filed. 001;. 11, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 //7 van /0 Char/es D. E///0f/ Roberf FHac/rney Laws C. LaDuke 22 By fhe/r affomeys Aug. 18, 1964 c. D. ELLIOTT ETAL 3,144,844

PORTABLE MACHINE FOR TUFTING CUT FILE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 1l, 1962 By fhe/r alfomeys Aug. 18, 1964 c. D. ELLIOTT ETAL 3,144,844

PORTABLE MACHINE FOR TUFTING CUT PILE Filed Oct. 11, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 28 /0 V6 fors Char/es 0. ///'0// Robe/2 E Hackney Lewis 6. LaDu/re By #1617 af/om eys United States Patent Office 3,144,844 Patented Aug. 18, 1964 3,144,844 PORTABLE MACHINE FQR TUFTlNG CUT PILE Charles D. Elliott, Robert F. Hackney, and Lewis C. La Duke, Dalton, Ga, assignors to Cabin Crafts, Inn, Dalton, Gm, a corporation of Georgia Filed st. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 229,832 9 Claims. (Cl. 11280) This invention relates to tufting machines and, more particularly, it relates to portable tufting machines, sometimes known as punchwork machines.

It is an object of this invention to provide a portable tufting machine for making out pile.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable tufting machine for making out pile which is light and easy to move, has a minimum number of parts, is reliable in operation and may be easily assembled and taken apart for service.

In such machines, it is not possible to have cutting means on one side of the work sheet while the needle operating mechanism is on the other. The necessary ability to move the machine over the cloth or work sheet on which the tufting is done precludes the provision of cutting means on the opposite side of the sheet.

Therefore, another object of the invention involves providing a tufting machine of the aforesaid type in which the needle and the cutting device penetrate and withdraw from the work sheet together.

A related object is to provide for cutting at about the point of maximum needle penetration through the work sheet.

Another object is to provide in a machine of the aforesaid type a novel cutting means which is coaxial with and cooperates with the needle upon completion of the formation of a loop.

Another object is to provide needle and yarn cutting which penetrate the work sheet together and in penetrating position at least one is moved relatively to the other to cut the yarn loop forming cut pile.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the invention is described in connection With the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of one side of a machine embodying the invention with the needle in cloth penetrating position.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the opposite side of the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the machine as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 1, but with the needle withdrawn from the work sheet and into the presser foot.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 2, but with the parts in the same position as in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view similar to FIG. 3, but with the parts in the position of FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another form of the invention with the cutter reciprocating mechanism and yarn feed removed, and showing a different mechanism for oscillating the cutter.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the ends of the needle and tubular yarn cutter.

Referring to the drawings, the operating parts are mounted in and upon a casting or housing 10 having a pistol-grip type of handle 10h. For driving the machine, power is delivered by a flexible shaft (not shown) to a drive shaft 12 located within a tube 14 mounted in the housing 10 above the handle. A worm 16 is fixed on the inner end of the drive shaft 12 and meshes with and drives a worm gear 18 mounted fixedly on a stub shaft 19 supported transversely within the housing. Also mounted on the stub shaft 19 is a driving disc 20 which acts as a crank for driving the needle reciprocating mechanism.

Needle Operating Mechanism Connected near the periphery of the disc 20 by a pin 21 is one end of a connecting link or bar 22 whose other end is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 23 to a reciprocating slidable needle carrier, consisting of a vertical rear block 24 connected by a sleeve 25 to a forward horizontal block 26 having a pillar 27 mounted centrally thereon. The rear block 24 slides on upper and lower parallel guide rods 29t and 2% which extend lengthwise of the machine and are supported by the machine frame one above the other.

The sleeve 25 slides upon the upper rod 29t While the forward slide block 26 slides upon the forward end of the same guide bar 29! and extends crosswise of the machine and also slides upon another guide rod 1291'. The guide rod 129t is parallel to and horizontally opposite the guide rod 29t and is one of a pair of guide rods similar to 291. and 2%, the other or lower rod being designated 12%.

Mounted fixedly in pillar 27 is one end of a hollow needle 28 whose other end is beveled to a point at one side and machined to a sharp edge at the junction of the beveled end and inner wall, so as to perform a scissor or shearing action on the yarn, as hereinafter more fully described.

As the needle reciprocates, its shank passes through and is guided by a cylindrical bore or passage in an extension 15 projecting up from the housing in the opposite direction from the handle and at the opposite end of the machine. The side face of this projection functions as a presser foot and slides above the surface of the cloth as the tufting proceeds.

The Cutler and Its Operating Means On the opposite side of the housing from the needle operating disc 20 and mounted on the opposite end of the stub shaft is a cutter reciprocating disc 30. Connected at one end to this disc 30 by a pivot pin 31 is a connecting bar or link 32 whose opposite end has a 1ongitudinal slot 32s by which an adjustable connection is made to a slidable cutter reciprocating block 34 by a pivot pin 33 having a thumb or other adjustment nut 33n thereon.

The block 34 is slidably supported on the aforementioned guide rods 12% and 12% by and between sleeves 362 and 3612, one vertically above and parallel to the other and passing through the block 34. The sleeves are slidable on the rods 1292 and 1291).

A hollow tubular yarn cutter 38 is fixedly connected at one end to a block 34 and extends through the hollow needle with a snug sliding fit. Yarn is fed into a hole 38k in the Wall of the cutter tube 38 midway along its length and out the end of the cutter and needle so that as the needle reciprocates, it pushes yarn through the cloth forming a loop.

In order to turn the cutter tube 38 to and fro about its axis, a long spline gear 4th is mounted fixedly thereon midway along it and moves with it as it reciprocates with block 34. Engaging with the spline gear are the teeth 41t of a rack 41 which is reciprocated transversely with respect to the path of the cutter and needle and alongside the same. The rack 41 has an arm by which it is connected to and supported from a rod or bar 42 which is guided for lengthwise movement by a guide tube 43 mounted on the machine frame or housing.

In order to move the rack rod 42 positively, a pin 44 projects laterally therefrom midway along its length in amgsae position to be engaged by another pin 45 projecting radially from the periphery of the cutter driving disc 39. The pin 44 projects through a slot in the side of the guide tube 43 so that rotation of the rack rod 42 is prevented while at the same time the pin 44 is guided in a straight path.

As the cutter driving disc rotates, its pin engages the rack pin 44 and lifts it and the rack rod 42 and rack 41, causing rotation of the spline gear and cutter 38.

To return the rack rod to original position, a compression spring 46 is coiled around the lower end of the rod 42, pressing one end against the lower end of the guide tube and at its other end against a collar 47. Travel under the force of the spring is limited by an upper collar 48 adjustably mounted along the rack rod 42 above tube 43 to engage the top of the guide tube. The spring, thus, provides the force to reversely move the rack rod 42 and reversely rotate the cutter to its original position as soon as the pin 45 has rotated far enough to disengage the pin 44.

In FIG. 7, another means is illustrated for causing oscillatory motion of the cutter tube 38 about its own axis. In this figure, like parts bear like reference numerals of the form shown in the previous figures.

In FIG. 7, the rack bar 141 has its teeth engaging the spline gear 40 as before, but the rack bar is guided in a guide channel formed in a guide block 143 which is bolted to the machine frame and has a slot parallel to the rack bar guide channel. Through this slot extends an actuating pin 144 which is affixed at its inner end to the rack bar 141.

Reciprocating motion is imparted to the rack bar by a rocking lever 145 which is pivoted at one end on a pin 147 in the machine frame and has its other end bifurcated and embraceably engaging the rack-bar-actuating pin 144. The lever 145 is caused to rock about the pivot 147 by an eccentric 149 mounted upon the power driven stub shaft 19. As the eccentric rotates, it exerts forces on opposite sides of an elongated oval eccentric recess 148 in the midportion of the lever 145, causing oscillation of the lever about pivot pin 147.

Other parts of the form of invention illustrated in FIG. 7 are the same as in the previously described form.

The axial motion of the cutter tube relative to the needle is timed so that the end of the cutter tube resides within the needle during the needle penetration of the cloth, but moves up to the end of the needle and partially outside thereof after the cloth is penetrated.

The turning of the cutter tube about its axis is timed to occur while its end projects from the needle, as shown in FIG. 1, while the yarn is tight over the needle and cutter tube at the full penetration position.

The turning of the cutter tube in cooperation with the needle causes cutting of the yarn loop while the needle is still in the work sheet.

In order to provide a cutting edge of high effectiveness, the end of the cutting tube is machined to form a spiral end 38s, as shown in FIG. 8, thus providing a cutting shoulder 38s extending lengthwise between the outer and inner extremities of the end 38a. The needle end is also formed for effective cooperation with the cutter edge by machining one side 28s of the inner portion of the beveled end in a lengthwise direction (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

Thus, as the tube rotates within the needle, the yarn looped over the inner extremity of the edge of the cutter tube is caught and sheared apart between the sharpened exterior longitudinal edge of the cutting shoulder 38s and the sharpened inner edge of the lengthwise-cut portion 28s of the needle. The parallel or nearly parallel sharpened edges facilitate the gripping and shearing action to sever the yarn.

Regulated yarn feed is provided by a link 4-9 pivotally connected at one end to the connecting bar 32 of the cutter reciprocating mechanism and at the other end to a pivoted lever of a conventional ratchet-and-pawl type yarn feed. The lever 50 pivots about an axle 51 supported by an arm rearwardly extending from the machine. An internal spring-pressed pawl (not visible) actuated by lever 50 engages internal ratchet teeth (not visible) to cause intermittent unidirectional rotation of sand-papercovered yarn feed wheel 54 in conventional fashion.

Yarn is trained between a yarn feed wheel 54 which is rotatively mounted on the axle 51. The yarn feed wheel 54 engages an idler pressure wheel 55 supported on an arm 56 rearwardly extending from the machine frame.

In order to feed the yarn through the cutter tube and needle, compressed air is fed into the cutter ube 38 by a flexible connection (not shown) to the back end 38a of that tube.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides a machine which can be carried by hand and moved across a work sheet or cloth backing to form tufting in straight lines or according to any desired configuration or design. The resulting tufts will be of cut pile by reason of the rotative and reciprocative action of the cutter tube with respect to the needle. The invention uniquely makes possible the cutting of the loops formed by the needle penetration after the loop has been formed and while the needle is still in the cloth. Adjustment of the degree of rotation of the cutter tube relative to the needle is easily accomplished by adjustment of the relative position of the rack along the rack rod and the length of stroke of the rack.

Adjustment is also easily possible of the axial motion and, hence, of the degree of extension of the cutter tube outside of the needle. This is done by adjustment of the position of the cutter block 34 relative to the connecting link 32.

The machine permits making cut pile tufted products including, but not limited to, bedspreads and floor coverings with intricate designs and color arrangements heretofore impossible except by expensive individual hand insertion.

The machine may be made small enough to hold in and be operated by one hand.

Many modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described and illustrated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tufting machine, a hollow needle, a hollow sleeve within said needle and movable longitudinally and rotatably with respect to the needle, said sleeve and needle being adapted to have yarn threaded lengthwise through them, power operable means to reciprocate said needle for causing it to penetrate and withdraw from a work sheet, power operable means to reciprocate said sleeve in timed relation to the reciprocation of the needle, a power driven shaft connected to said needle-reciprocating means and said sleeve-reciprocating means to drive them simul taneously, means driven by said power shaft to rotate said sleeve after said needle has formed a loop, said needle and sleeve having cutting edges formed thereon cooperating to sever the yarn loop as said sleeve rotates.

2. In a tufting machine as claimed in claim 1, means on said sleeve-reciprocating means to adjust the stroke of said sleeve relative to said needle to cause the cutting end of said sleeve to remain within the needle during penetration of the work sheet and to move adjacent the end of the needle and partly outside thereof after such work sheet penetration by the needle, whereby to cut the yarn loop as said sleeve rotates.

3. In a tufting machine as claimed in claim 2, yarn feeding means operated from said power driven shaft to feed predetermined amounts of yarn to said needle and sleeve, and compressed air means to feed said predetermined amounts through the needle and sleeve.

4. In a tufting machine as claimed in claim 1, yarn feeding means operated from said power driven shaft to feed predetermined amounts of yarn to said needle and sleeve, and compressed air means to feed said predetermined amounts through the needle and sleeve.

5. In a tufting machine, a hollow needle, a hollow sleeve within said needle and movable longitudinally and rotatably with respect to the needle, said sleeve and needle being adapted to have yarn threaded lengthwise through them, power operable means to reciprocate said needle for causing it to penetrate and withdraw from a work sheet, power operable means to reciprocate said sleeve in timed relation to the reciprocation of the needle, a power driven shaft connected to said needle-reciprocating means and said sleeve-reciprocating means to drive them simultaneously, means driven by said power shaft to rotate said sleeve after said needle has formed a loop, said needle having a tapered point with one edge merging into a substantially longitudinal cutting edge, and said sleeve having a substantially longitudinal cutting edge adapted to catch yarn between it and said cutting edge on the needle and to sever the yarn.

6. In a tufting machine, a hollow needle, a hollow sleeve within said needle and movable longitudinally and rotatably with respect to the needle, said sleeve and needle being adapted to have yarn threaded lengthwise through them, power operable means to reciprocate said needle for causing it to penetrate and withdraw from a work sheet, power operable means to reciprocate said sleeve in timed relation to the reciprocation of the needle, a power driven shaft connected to said needle-reciprocating means and said sleeve-reciprocating means to drive them simultaneously, means driven by said power shaft to rotate said sleeve after said needle has formed a loop, said needle having a tapered point with one edge merging into a substantially longitudinal cutting edge, and said sleeve having a substantially longitudinal cutting edge joined at its extremities by a helical end surface on the sleeve, said longitudinal surfaces being adapted to catch yarn between them as the sleeve rotates to sever the yarn.

7. A portable tufting machine comprising a support, a hollow needle guided for reciprocation in said support, a hollow sleeve within the needle and movable longitudinally and rotatably with respect to the needle, said sleeve and needle being adapted to have yarn threaded lengthwise through them, reciprocating means for said needle and reciprocating means for said sleeve, a rotary power-driven means, separate means connecting said power-driven rotary means to said needle-reciprocating means and to said sleeve-reciprocating means to translate the rotary motion to rectilinear motion, and means driven from said rotary shaft to oscillate the sleeve about its longitudinal axis in coordination with the maximum travel of said sleeve through the work sheet, for cutting the yarn.

8. A portable tufting machine as claimed in claim 1 having longitudinal guide rods for the needle and sleeve reciprocating means, and a rack and pinion for rotating said sleeve.

9. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sleeve rotating means comprises a rack and pinion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,057,920 Rose Oct. 20, 1936 2,581,894 Wilson Ian. 8, 1952 2,599,226 Briem June 3, 1952 2,682,842 Salle July 6, 1954 2,827,045 Gifiord June 3, 1958 2,862,466 Bryant et al. Dec. 2, 1958 2,879,731 Ward et al Mar. 31, 1959 2,887,076 Sterner May 19, 1959 

1. IN A TUFTING MACHINE, A HOLLOW NEEDLE, A HOLLOW SLEEVE WITHIN SAID NEEDLE AND MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY AND ROTATABLY WITH RESPECT TO THE NEEDLE, SAID SLEEVE AND NEEDLE BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE YARN THREADED LENGTHWISE THROUGH THEM, POWER OPERABLE MEANS TO RECIPROCATE SAID NEEDLE FOR CAUSING IT TO PENETRATE AND WITHDRAW FROM A WORK SHEET, POWER OPERABLE MEANS TO RECIPROCATE SAID SLEEVE IN TIMED RELATION TO THE RECIPROCATION OF THE NEEDLE, A POWER DRIVEN SHAFT CONNECTED TO SAID NEEDLE-RECIPROCATING MEANS AND SAID SLEEVE-RECIPROCATING MEANS TO DRIVE THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY, MEANS DRIVEN BY SAID POWER SHAFT TO ROTATE SAID SLEEVE AFTER SAID NEEDLE HAS FORMED A LOOP, SAID NEEDLE AND SLEEVE HAVING CUTTING EDGES FORMED THEREON COOPERATING TO SEVER THE YARN LOOP AS SAID SLEEVE ROTATES. 